Leadership in Law: Jerry Carleton

President, Immix Law Group

Career highlight: At a time when many law firms were cutting back, Carleton stocked his law firm with a recent law school grad, whom he has taken on as his personal mentee.

Noteworthy: Carleton played a key role in the growth of Saint Child, a nonprofit that provides lodging for women in crisis pregnancy, and Incight, an organization that provides scholarships for people with disabilities.

An old man in “It’s A Wonderful Life” says, “Youth is wasted on the wrong people.” Jerry Carleton is the antithesis of that lament. He has used his eagerness and energy wisely, concentrating on results and maintaining a professional direction that leaves little doubt that he is settling in among the best attorneys in Oregon.

Prior to law school, Carleton joined two former roommates to start Keen Mobility, a company that provides design and equipment for mobility challenged people.

Carleton continued to run the business as it grew while attending law school at night. He graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School in 2007. Not long after that, he joined Bullivant Houser Bailey.

In 2011, he started Immix Law Group, which now has six full-time employees and provides ongoing business transactional advice and litigation for more than 100 Portland-area firms.

One of his recent hires was an attorney fresh out of law school. Carleton has taken on the task of mentoring the new associate, providing encouragement, feedback and direction on an ongoing basis.

Carleton sits on the board of 10 Portland-area businesses and foundations, including Incight. A nonprofit oriented to fostering education and employment for persons with disabilities, Incight has distributed more than 100 scholarships.

Carleton also has also been instrumental in the development and growth of Saint Child, a nonprofit home for women in crisis pregnancy, and the Hope Squared Foundation, which he founded last year to raise awareness and fund other nonprofit maternal support facilities.

Kendall Ferris, a shareholder at Bullivant Houser Bailey, served as a role model and mentor for Carleton. “The words ‘I’m too busy’ are not in Jerry’s vocabulary,” Ferris previously told the DJC about Carleton.